We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them.

Family Law

Family law questions? Ask a family lawyer online.

Connect one-on-one with {0} who will answer your question

By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them.

My now 10 year old step son has oppositional defiant

Customer Question

disorder and ADHD accompanied by...

My now 10 year old step son has oppositional defiant disorder and ADHD accompanied by abandonment issues due to his birth mom not really being in the picture. We have tried everything to get him to not get up at night and wander. He climbs on counter step in refrigerator and for years now has listened to either of our requests for him not to do this at night. We have tried explaining..demanding he not do it grounding.. We told him if you need to go to the rest room fine but go right back to bed and bathroom is right across from his room but he does not. He also has displayed other behaviors that are dangerous for himself and others in the home so to avoid what do happen and what might happen we lock the door, keep in mind his room is within 7 steps of our door so knocking on the door would be heard if he needed either of us. His door is open and their is normal interaction from 3:30 when he comes home from school until bedtime at 7pm then its his routine bedtime hugs kisses and I love

Thank you for your question. I look forward to working with you to provide you the information you are seeking for educational purposes only.What is your legal question about this situation?

Ask Your Own Family Law Question

Customer reply replied 2 years ago

Considering the issues i mentioned is it emotional abuse if his door is locked during bedtime hours with him knowing we are literally a few steps away and all he has to do is knock. He knows very much that he is loved by both of us but consistently defies the rules given for bed time

Thank you for your reply.Before doing this, you need to have a long discussion with his therapists regarding any alternatives and you need their support on this solution as the only remaining recourse. Simply locking a door to a child's room could be deemed child abuse, especially since in the event of an emergency the child cannot exit the room. Generally, the solutions to this are alarms on the doors to alert parents so they can get up and return the child to bed, but locking the door at night can be a danger to the child as stated.

Ask Your Own Family Law Question

Customer reply replied 2 years ago

We have a one story home and it has already been established that he can and does know how to leave his room through the window. He is a very intelligent child and have tried many different avenues and found if we say its bed time and he knows he has no choice he doesn't stay awake to wait for us to be asleep so he can sneak around instead he just goes to sleep and gets the rest hr needs to function at school. Though there were do many times when I would just wait to he goes to sleep and the door remained unlocked but now that he knows its unlocked hes doing it once again. He feels he can do what he wants regardless of what is told or asked to do/not do.

It is still considered a danger and abuse unless you have a medical professional explaining how this is the only remaining option for you, since in the event of an emergency it is still a danger to have the child locked in his room, even if you have established he knows how to use the window.

I understand you want to stop the problem, but locking the door can get you in trouble for child abuse.

Ask Your Own Family Law Question

Customer reply replied 2 years ago

As I stated his door has long since been unlocked and he still does it. We figure as long as he is not in danger and he doesn't just stay up he comes and goes at will at night. I figure with his curious busy mind he may sometimes feel the need to get up so if he has no resistance its lost its appeal and he will stop doing it. We do let him know that we know he was up at night and leave it at that.. I'm guessing he is thinking no resistance no battle .. And the game ends.

Thank you for your reply.I know he is still doing this. If you believe your only recourse is locking his door, you need to have some MEDICAL SUPPORT from his therapist that says this is the only remaining option for you. Without that support from his doctor/therapist, if a complaint is made this is something a court considers child abuse regardless of what you "figure" or "feel" without any professional support for your actions.

My daughter recently passed away suddenly. Leaving her husband, 16 year old daughter, 8 year old daughter and a 2 year old son. I have been the sons main caretaker 40-45 hours per week since his mothe… read more

Hello - my daughter went to child support hearing this morning - she cannot afford an attorney at this time. Of course he had a lawyer and told my daughter that if she keeps child custody 50/50 then B… read more

Hello again, Sean. Its Michele from Idaho, panicking Just a Touch. I am trying to figure out what the court will take into account when it comes to support for my son. You see, he has several mental d… read more

my 13 year old grandson lives in Las Vegas. His father has been a lot of hugging him. The father French kissed my grandson during a family party. My grandson pushed him away, wiped his mouth and told … read more

Hi, I am a foster parent of 2 boys that are half brothers. The youngest(Craig)is 2yrs(I have had him since he was 2months, 10/22/2014)& the oldest(Camron)is 10(he came to live with us in 10/9/2015). C… read more

After weeks of scouring the internet for a court case or penal code, I have come up empty. Please, in the state of California, is there either of those in reference to locking a severely autistic chil… read more

I am the non-custodial parent of a 16.5 year old boy. He is using drugs and has brought drugs and drug paraphernalia into my home. He has also broken into my home with a friend of his. He was arrested… read more

My family and I had a house fire, thankful it only burned out part of our kitchen. I posted on Facebook asking for prayers and help. My children were on Spring Break, so we were lucky in a sense. I am… read more

My 10 yo son's psychiatrist and an intake specialist have recommended a partial hospitalization. His anger and rage are out of control, and he is physically and verbally abusing everyone in our house.… read more

My husband and I had a fight on Monday night revolving around finances. 2 years ago, we purchased a pick up truck with a very large monthly payment, $664 to be exact. We can not afford our monthly exp… read more

Hello, my name is Tim. I have a 14 year old daughter that has been a real challenge and has been in and out of trouble for years. So much so, that her mother could not handle her and she now lives wit… read more

What will the court think about my husband telling them that turned the door knob around and I locked my 2 year old in his room at night and at nap times because he is a climber and would climb out of… read more

My ex is bipolar and under psychiatric care and anger management. I left her and filed a restraining order on her 3 separate times she stipulated to 2 of them. % yrs ago i had custody. But she got cus… read more

I have my custody hearing this coming Monday and I feel that my attorney has represented properly and not prepared for court and is siding with my husband side which he accusing me of abuse. I have al… read more

My husband is pushing me to leave again due to a fling I had over a year ago that he found out about in July. I have left 2 time perviously in July and August for about a week and came back after we a… read more

me and my wife are currently separted but have not divorced yet ; I had no choice but to move in with a roomate who happens to be a female (im a male ) and now she says that she will file for divorce … read more

My step daughter (B) accused me of abuse saying things that had never happened. She and her mother went to the police. The police interviewed my husband and myself and found that just a week earlier m… read more

DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on JustAnswer are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. JustAnswer is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains.

The responses above are from individual Experts, not JustAnswer. The site and services are provided “as is”. To view the verified credential of an Expert, click on the “Verified” symbol in the Expert’s profile. This site is not for emergency questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service (last updated February 8, 2012).

JustAnswer in the News:

Ask-a-doc Web sites: If you've got a quick question, you can try to get an answer from sites that say they have various specialists on hand to give quick answers... Justanswer.com.

JustAnswer.com...has seen a spike since October in legal questions from readers about layoffs, unemployment and severance.

I will tell you that...the things you have to go through to be an Expert are quite rigorous.

What Customers are Saying:

Not only did he answer my Michigan divorce question but was also able to help me out with it, too. I have since won my legal case on this matter and thank you so much for it.

LeeMichigan

Mr. Kaplun clearly had an exceptional understanding of the issue and was able to explain it concisely. I would recommend JustAnswer to anyone. Great service that lives up to its promises!

Gary B.Edmond, OK

My Expert was fast and seemed to have the answer to my taser question at the tips of her fingers. Communication was excellent. I left feeling confident in her answer.

EricRedwood City, CA

I am very pleased with JustAnswer as a place to go for divorce or criminal law knowledge and insight.

MichaelWichita, KS

PaulMJD helped me with questions I had regarding an urgent legal matter. His answers were excellent.

Three H.Houston, TX

Anne was extremely helpful. Her information put me in the right direction for action that kept me legal, possible saving me a ton of money in the future. Thank you again, Anne!!

ElaineAtlanta, GA

It worked great. I had the facts and I presented them to my ex-landlord and she folded and returned my deposit. The 50 bucks I spent with you solved my problem.

TonyApopka, FL

< Previous | Next >

Meet the Experts:

Ely

Counselor at Law

11,971 satisfied customers

Private practice with focus on family, criminal, PI, consumer protection, and business consultation.

LawTalk

Attorney and Counselor at Law

9,034 satisfied customers

30 years legal experience. I remain current in Family Law through regular continuing education.

Dimitry K., Esq.

Attorney

7,856 satisfied customers

I provide family and divorce law advice to my clients in my firm.

P. Simmons

Lawyer

3,624 satisfied customers

16 yrs. of experience including family law.

Barrister

Lawyer

3,607 satisfied customers

Attorney with 17 years experience

RobertJDFL

Lawyer

3,019 satisfied customers

Experienced in multiple areas of the law.

ScottyMacEsq

Lawyer

2,828 satisfied customers

Licensed Texas General Practice Attorney

< Previous | Next >

DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on JustAnswer are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. JustAnswer is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains.

The responses above are from individual Experts, not JustAnswer. The site and services are provided “as is”. To view the verified credential of an Expert, click on the “Verified” symbol in the Expert’s profile. This site is not for emergency questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service (last updated February 8, 2012).